


When You Least Expect It

by PattRose



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, Money, Possibly factually inaccurate, Sentinel Bingo Card
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 14:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14166732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattRose/pseuds/PattRose
Summary: Blair has to ask for a loan at the bank.  What will he do when they say no? He doesn’t want to go to Jim.Sentinel BingoPrompt: Money Trouble





	When You Least Expect It

When You Least Expect It  
By PattRose  
Summary: Blair has to ask for a loan at the bank. What will he do when they say no? He doesn’t want to go to Jim.   
Genre: Slash   
Rating: Mature  
Prompt: Money Trouble  
Warning: Nice William. Possibly factually inaccurate.   
Word Count: 1793  
Beta: Mary Browne. (Thank you, sweetie.) 

 

William was signing some papers at the bank, for his sons, when he saw Blair Sandburg come into the bank. Blair was so preoccupied that he didn’t even see William. He went into an office with the manager of the bank and was in there for a very short time. When Blair came out it looked like he had lost his best friend in the world. Blair left the bank, still not seeing William sitting at the assistant manager’s desk. 

William got up when he finished signing the papers and walked over and knocked on the door of the manager. Mr. Sterling answered and smiled at William. “What can I do for you today, Mr. Ellison?”

“I need to know if I can pay off Blair Sandburg’s debt. I know that you didn’t give him a loan because it was written all over his face. I would like to somehow pay his debt off.”

“This is a very private matter and he wouldn’t appreciate us talking about his debts. Besides, Mr. Ellison, you would have to put money in his account to pay his debt. And I can’t tell you how much it is. You can however give us a check for whatever you want to put into his account. And he will never know where it came from if you don’t want him to know.”

“I’ll write you out a check and hope that I give you enough. Give me a moment and you can take care of this for him and myself.”

Mr. Sterling waited while William wrote him out a check. Just like that William was taking care of Blair’s money trouble. And the best part was is Blair would never know it was him. Mr. Sterling was impressed that William had put so much in his account. This way not only were his debts paid but there was a small amount left over for extra things he might need.

*

Blair had just been hired as a consultant for Major Crimes. He was getting paid and getting insurance at the same time. His student loans were in arrears, so he went to the bank that morning to get a loan. There was no way he was asking Jim for money. Jim did enough for Blair as it was. No, Blair was going to have to get a second job to pay off the loans. 

He was sitting at his desk when the bank called him. “Mr. Sandburg, this is Mr. Sterling from the bank. Someone paid off your student loans, so you are debt free.”

“Who?” Blair asked. 

“They wished to remain anonymous. I just wanted to let you know that your balance is $5,000.00.”

“What do you mean, I have a balance in my account? I had $60.00 this morning. And now I have $5,000.00?” Blair asked. 

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, Mr. Sandburg. Someone must have wanted you to be debt free. I have to go, I just needed to tell you not to worry about your money trouble any longer.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sterling.”

“Have a good life, Mr. Sandburg.”

Blair hung up the phone and looked over at Jim who was talking to Megan at that very moment. Jim hadn’t left the station, so who would have paid his debt? The only person that Blair knew with a little money was Jim. He had savings, he had told Blair that from the start. But Jim would have told him he paid it off. No, it had to be someone else. Who? 

Jim walked over to Blair’s desk and said, “A penny for your thoughts.”

“Someone paid off my student loans, Jim. And I’d like to know who it was. Do you know anything about it?”

“Blair, I would have told you if I was paying off your loans. It had to have been someone that knew you had loans to pay off. Who would that be?” 

“That’s what I thought too, Jim. I honestly don’t know who paid them off and it’s driving me nuts.”

“Why didn’t you come to me, Chief? I thought we were a couple in all things.”

Blair knew that Jim was hurt. He would have gladly paid the loans off for Blair. And Blair didn’t want that at all. 

“I’m sorry, Jim. I could have asked you for the money, but I wanted it to be paid by me. I was thinking of getting a second job.”

“Instead of getting a loan from me?” Jim was sounding more mad than hurt now. 

“You would have given me a loan? With like interest and everything?” Blair asked. 

“I would do anything for you, Blair. I thought you knew that much about us.”

“I do now. I’m sorry, Jim. I’ll talk to you the next time something comes up. I’ve learned my lesson. But this still doesn’t tell me who paid my loans off.”

“Maybe it was a gift and they wanted you to be happy.”

“Maybe, but it’s going to drive me nuts. Can you think of anyone that would do this? Because I don’t like someone paying my loans off without me knowing about it.”

“I mentioned your loans to my dad a month ago, saying you still owed quite a bit of money. But he didn’t ask how much or anything like that. I don’t know why he would have paid them off.”

“I need to go and talk to him. I hope it wasn’t him. I’ll be angry with him.” Blair got up to ask Simon if he could leave early for the day. Simon, of course, said yes since Blair had finished all his reports already. 

“Thanks, Simon.”

“Take your partner with you, he looks lost already,” Simon said, teasingly. 

Blair walked over to the desk and asked, “Would you like to go to your dad’s house with me? Or would I embarrass you?”

“What are you going to say?” Jim asked, as he grabbed both of their jackets and they walked towards the elevator. 

“Can I meet you at the loft and we’ll drive over together in your truck?” Blair asked. 

Going down the elevator Jim asked again, “What are you going to say to him?” 

“That I want to pay him back, with low interest or no deal.”

“I think he could live with that,” Jim replied. 

Each man got into his own vehicle and drove to the loft.

*

Once they were both in Jim’s truck, Jim said, “Be sure and treat him nice, Blair. He’s been trying so hard to make our relationship work. He’s also trying to understand us being lovers and I think he just wants to do something nice. So let him down easy.”

Blair smiled over at Jim. “Don’t worry. I have tact when I need it.”

“I love you, Chief. Remember that, okay?”

“And I love you, Jim. Now, I just need to know how to word this.”

“You could tell him that you’ll accept a loan with low interest if he’ll come to dinner every Sunday night at our place. That would be a nice start.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I’ll do that.”

They drove up to William’s house and got out. Jim rang the doorbell and William was surprised when they were both standing there. “Hello, Jim and Blair. Come in. What brings you out on this lovely day? Usually you’re cooped up at the station.”

“I have a question to ask, William. I need some answers.”

William looked at him and said, “Sit down. Jimmy, come in and help me get some iced tea for all of us.”

Blair sat down while Jim helped his dad in the kitchen. 

William said, “He found out I paid his loans off, right?”

“Dad, why did you do that?”

“I’ll explain in the living room.”

Jim grabbed the tray with the three iced teas on it and took it into the living room. He sat it down on the coffee table and wondered why they didn’t call it a tea table. He almost snickered at his little joke, but knew it wasn’t the time or place. 

Blair took a sip of the sweet tea and said, “This is really good, William. Now, let’s get down to business. I need to ask you a question and then offer you a deal.”

“Yes, I paid your loans off. They never told me how much. I just put that amount into your account. No rules were broken. I was at the bank today when you got turned down, Blair. I was there getting some papers done for the boys and their spouses. Yes, that would be you. You didn’t see me, you were so upset. I had planned on giving you a check like I am giving Steven’s wife, Sandra, but instead I paid your bills off. Jimmy, I have a check for you to take home. I decided that I was giving you half of your inheritance now, instead of waiting until I die first. You may as well do something fun. Buy a house, go on a cruise, do something wild with Blair.”

“Are you all right, William?” Blair asked. 

“This is so typical of you, Blair. Worrying about me even when you’re angry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. It’s your inheritance. I’m sorry it all went to pay off your bills, but it was a gift, you can’t take it back.”

Blair sat there thinking for a moment and said, “Okay, here is the deal. Every Sunday you will be coming to our place for dinner and watching football. No excuses, you’ll be there every week. Understood?”

“Understood. I can live with that, easily.”

“But that’s not all. Every Wednesday, you’re going to come to the station and you and I will go to lunch. Not Jim, just me. I want us to get to know each other better.”

“I can live with that too. I have a lot of days open.”

“Good, because the next thing you’re doing is you’re taking your son out for lunch on Fridays. It’ll be your days to get to know each other better too.”

“I like the way you wheel and deal, Blair. Thank you,” William said, happily. 

“No, thank you for making sure that I had no more money troubles. You’re the best. Now, tell us what you do every day to fill your days.”

And William did exactly that. 

The end


End file.
